Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-01-07
southern Interests Threatened.


55Villt the Interstate commerce bill, if it
becomes law, injure the South? Mr..
John Ii. Inman. OF New York, says that it
VIII, and he gives some very strong reasons
why he thinks 80. Mr.. Ihman has had a
deep inter st in Southern enterprises for
over twenty years, and is, therefore, quite
well qualified to speak OF Southern inter-
ests, and the effect which any sort of leg
station is likely to have upon them.
Toe provision Of the interstate com
merce bill to which ne particularly OBJ
jects is that which relates to the short
and long haul. The South is Just now in
terested in having cheap rates from The
interior to the seaboard, because her cot
ton, pig iron and lumber are largely
shipped to markets outside of her limits.
If the interstate commerce bill becomes
a law low rates will become almost
Impossible. The South is much more
sparsely settled than the North, and
hence, the local traffic IS much less. 1t
will be impossible, therefore, for the rail-
roads to make their expenses and meet
their interest obligations if they are re-
qured to make their local rates the same
as their through rates. If they raise
their through rates and make them the
same as their local rates, Southern COM
merce will receive a check that will be a
ser GUS bow to the South's prosperity.
In the North the railroads may manage,
to get along under the Snort and long haul
provision because the local traffic is eDor-
nous. The South, however, is just be-
ginning to grow and needs transportation
conditions which may not be absolutely
necessary elsewhere. On this point Mr..
| Inman SAYS: "Many Southern railroads
will be bankrupted and many Southern
industries paralyzed by the enforcement
of this interstate commerce measure. The
| South will suffer more than any other
| section Of the country, for its mining ana
| manufacturing interests are still in their
| infancv, and because she ships nearly
ner entire crop, as well as almost every
ton Of pig iron and most of her cotton
| goods, 10 distant markets, and therefore
is largely interested in cheap rates on
long hauIs, and must, for her future de-
yelopment, have all the fostering care the
railroads can offer. The large production
OF iron in the Birmingham district has
been, in no small degree, the result of the
very low rates at which the roads have
carried the iron to distant markets"
1t is true that there is provision in
the bill which permits the five commits
sioners, who will be entrusted with
the administration of the law, to modify
rates where they are found to be oppres-
sive These five men will virtually have
control OF the rates of all the great
railroads in the country. If they are hon
est and intelligent the railroads may have
a voice in fixing their own rates, but
how Will 1t be if they, or even a majority
of them, use their power to accomplish
selfish purposes? Are not the powers
with which they will be clothed too great
to be entrusted to any cOmmissiOnp
Doubtless a commission is demanded
by public sentiment, but 10 questionable
fit is desired that it shall have such eX-
traordinary powers as it is proposed to
give that for which the pending Interstate
commerce bill provides. In several of the
southern States there is a railroad COM
mission which has powers as great as this
national commission Will have. The two
commissions will make the situation any
thing but pleasant for Southern railroads.